


Chanukah under the mistletoe

by Aprilmallick



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: 2018uglychristmaschallenge, Christmas, Fluff, Gen, Hannukah, M/M, Ugly Christmas Apparel Challenge, Ugly Holiday Sweaters, jewish bucky, ugly hanukah sweaters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-09-13 18:08:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16897449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aprilmallick/pseuds/Aprilmallick
Summary: Tony is panicking and trying to find the perfect Christmas sweater for everyone. Especially Bucky. But wait! He's Jewish?! Crap. There is a large lack of ugly Chanukah sweaters.Featuring Trying super hard! Tony and Troll! Steve.





	Chanukah under the mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [starsandsupernovae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsandsupernovae/gifts).



> Unfortunately none of the sweaters in this fic actually exist (to my knowledge) but have fun imagining them! Happy Holidays!

Tony was rushing around in a frenzy, trying to buy the perfect sweater for everyone in the tower. He hadn't meant to leave it so late, but he'd been busy, okay? (Fine, he'd been busy working on a sentient microwave but no one needed to know that.)

Ugly sweaters were important! It was one of the only traditions that Tony could remember partaking in. Jarvis had always made sure he was outfitted with the most horrifying one possible. 

It was going to be Bucky's first holiday in the tower, and Tony wanted to make sure he felt just as welcome as all the others.

It was also his best opportunity to corner the super-soldier under the mistletoe.

He'd just gotten back from a sweater-finding run. The perfect sweater had so far been found for Bruce (a monstrous furry green one. There was nothing on it but the shag alone was horrifying), Clint (red with an arrow tipped with a pink heart. Everyone knew those colors clashed), and Steve (it was patterned with american flags, bald eagles, and fireworks. In plaid).

A spider, lightening, and Bucky(???) themed sweater had yet to be found.

Tony rounded the corner and smacked straight into Steve. “Capsicle! Just the guy I need.”

“Hi, Tony,” Steve said cheerfully. “What can I help you with?”

“I'm trying to find a good Christmas sweater for your pal, Barnes. You know him best. Any ideas?”

Steve's eyes widened. “But Bucky doesn't celebrate Christmas. He's Jewish.”

Damn. Tony hadn't counted for that. “I don't want to leave him out . . . do they make Hanukkah sweaters?”

“Chanukah,” Steve corrected. “The proper way to say it is with the hard ‘ch’.”

“I'm not sure I can make that sound.” Tony frowned. “But do they?”

“Probably.” Steve shrugged. “They seem to make everything nowadays. But I'm sure Bucky won't mind something else if you can't find one.”

“Nope, it's gotta be a sweater.” Tony shook his head and left for his room, his head already spinning with new ideas.

It took a while. He found a beautiful sweater with spiders as polka-dots for Natasha, and one with dark-grey rubbery clouds and yellow lightning bolts for Thor. The God would be pleased. Since his first time celebrating Christmas with Tony, he'd found ugly sweaters to be the best part of the holiday.

He had a really hard time finding one for Bucky. It wasn't that there weren't Hanukkah- sorry, Chanukah (he was practicing saying it) sweaters, there were loads. But none of them were really ugly.

He scrolled past a “This is my Ugly Hanukkah Sweater” one and then rolled back up consideringly. Then he shook his head and kept going. That was a cop-out.  
Yup, he, Tony Stark, had been reduced to online shopping for Christmas (Chanukah) sweaters. Picking them out in the store was supposed to be the funnest part! 

Finally, he found the one. It was furry, patterned with blue and white stripes. What really sold it though, was the giant star of david (six-pointed star) that was the exact shade of silver as Bucky's vibranium arm, and took up the entire torso of the sweater and then some.

Tony smiled victoriously to himself as he clicked ‘order,’ and ‘express shipping’. Bucky would have a sweater after all. 

It was just in time, too. Chanukah came much earlier than Christmas this year. 

“Alright, listen up, y’all. We’re having two parties this year,” Tony announced.

“Why?” Bruce asked. 

“One for Christmas, one for . . . c- h- hchcanukah!” Tony said proudly.

“Don’t kill yourself choking on that word, doll,” Bucky said looking worried. Then Tony’s words seemed to register and his eyes widened. “Wait, really? But I’m the only Jewish one here. You don’ have to go through all tha’ trouble just for me.”

“Nonsense!” Tony waved a hand dismissively. “It’s no trouble at all, metal man.”

“You’re more of a metal man than he is,” Steve pointed out. 

“Hush, Rogers. You’re the one who told me I had to say Hanukkah with the choking sound.”

“Stevie.” Bucky glared at his best friend before turning a softer gaze on Tony. “sayin’ it with just an ‘h’ is fine. I won’ get offended, promise.”

“So it’s settled then!” Tony rubbed his hands together in maniacal glee. “Hc-c-chchcanukah starts tomorrow night. The party will be on the third day. Barnes, do you need anything?”

“Uh. . . “ Bucky cleared his throat. “A menorah would be nice. And all the ingredients for potato pancakes.”

“Done, and done. Candles or oil?”

“Um.” Bucky cleared his throat again, looking surprised that Tony knew so much about it. (he’d been doing research, okay? No more than he’d do for anyone else. Obviously.) “Oil, if that’s not too much trouble.”

“None at all! I’ve already got both on hand. You want me to set it up here or in your suite?”

“I don’t mind lighting here,” Bucky said bashfully. “And I can make the pancakes tonight too. It was my mom’s recipe and you can’t ever eat too many.”

“That would be great!” Tony said enthusiastically. “By all means! Make us late-keys!”

“It’s pronounced “laht-kahs,” Steve interrupted.

“Lay off him Stevie, he’s trying.” Bucky scowled. 

\----------

The Chanukah party was a massive success. After lighting, Bucky unwrapped his ugly sweater with a huge smile and put it on immediately. 

“Thanks, Tony. I love it.” He swooped down and kissed Tony’s cheek, leaving the genius more than a little flustered. Then he flounced off to the kitchen and made more latkes. Donuts too! It was a good night.

After dinner they played dreidel, a game with chocolate coins (Gelt, in yiddish) and a dreidel (yiddish for a four-sided spinning top). It quickly turned super competitive when Clint suggested they play with actual money instead.

\----------

The Christmas party came on a lovely snowy day that was spent outdoors building snowmen and snow forts. There was no legit Avenger’s snowball fight, but Tony did sling a few in Bucky’s direction, just to see what would happen. 

The answer was Bucky hoisting the genius over his shoulder ad tossing him into a huge pile of powdery snow. Tony resurfaced, spluttering indignantly with everyone laughing at him. Eventually he joined in. 

Then they trooped back towards the tower. Bucky lagged a little bit behind, making sure that Tony was okay after his body-full of snow. (he was, but he still clung to the chance to be doted on by his totally-not-a-crush)

When they finally stepped into the doorway of the common room, Bucky grabbed Tony by the sleeve. “Wait.” 

“Hm?” Tony turned back to see The ex-Winter Soldier smiling sheepishly. 

“Don’ I get a kiss?”

Tony froze. “W-what?”

“Mistletoe.” Bucky gestured upwards, where the plant was indeed twined around the top of the doorpost. 

It would have been rude to refuse. And well, Tony didn’t want to refuse. So he leaned in and let Bucky kiss him. 

Steve wolf-whistled and there was definitely some snickering happening in the background, probably from Clint and or Sam. 

When the kiss finally ended, head spinning, Tony said dumbly, “But . . . but I didn’t put any up over there.”

“Nope.” Bucky smirked, exchanging a smug conspiratorial look with Steve. “I did.”

“I did,” Steve corrected. “He just asked me to.”

“Had to thank you for that lovely Chanukah present somehow, now didn’t I, sweet thing?” Bucky gestured at his horrible sweater.

Tony’s eyes lit up. “Hey, that reminds me! I got all of the rest of you ugly Christmas sweaters!”

Bucky smiled fondly at the geniuses excitement. “I gotta say, Christmas ain’t so bad, with this mistletoe tradition.”

“But you still prefer hc . . . c . . . wait, I got it this time . . . cchcanukah!” Tony finished proudly. 

Bucky couldn’t resist swooping in for another kiss, while Steve clucked his tongue loudly in the background. “You just still can’t say it.”

Bucky lifted his face from Tony’s to give his best friend an extremely sour look. “Shove it up yer ass, Stevie. The way Tony says it is fine. And besides, we’re gonna have a lot of one-on-one tutoring sessions now, aren’t we, honey?”

“Oh please,” Tony said quickly. “I’d appreciate that ever so much.” Then he winked. “Hey teacher, what happens if I get all the questions right?”

“You’ll definitely get some sorta prize.” Bucky leered at Tony. 

“Well that escalated quickly,” Natasha commented from the couch.

“Nat’s right,” Bucky allowed. “Tony, will you go to dinner with me tomorrow?”

“I would love to, Bucky-bear,” Tony replied.

“Great.” Bucky’s smile spit his face from ear to ear. He tugged Tony over to sit by the tree with the rest of the team. “Now let’s go see everyone elses ugly sweaters.”


End file.
